See Me Through
by wisegirl502
Summary: I, Shiloh Carter, can get myself into some pretty messed up situations, especially being a Daughter of Poseidon. But when Luke Castellan, my camp's old enemy suddenly appears in his old cabin, I do something most consider really stupid. I befriend him. He's here as punishment by the Judges of the Underworld. But he also has a chance to redeem himself... & a chance to live again
1. We Have A Surprise Guest

**I shouldn't be writing another story because I have too much on my plate as it is but if I don't write this, it will drive me nuts. So if you like the story, REVIEW! If you like the story but think something needs to be added, please feel free to give me **_**constructive**_** criticism, not **_**destructive**_**, or else I'll pay no attention to it. If you hate the story, simple: don't read it and move along and don't leave a review :) Not trying to sound harsh but still haha**

**Chapter Quote:  
**"**If you see my dad on the highway to hell? Kick his ass for me."  
****~Luke Castellan**

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Chapter 1: We Have A Surprise Guest

**Shiloh**

My mother always told me I had a knack for making friends with the strange people. I had never really realized how right she was until the old enemy from the most recent war showed up in his old cabin.

Let me explain who I am first. My name is Shiloh Carter. I'm twenty years old and have been at Camp Half-Blood since I was ten. For some reason, monsters discovered me at an early age, and I'd never known why up until a week ago after the gods had granted Percy a wish for saving the world and whatnot. Percy had requested that the gods claim their children before they were thirteen. You could imagine my surprise (along with everyone else's) when a glowing green trident floated above my head. Naturally, I jumped backwards from surprise and proceeded to trip over a rock. Then Apollo claimed me as his granddaughter which would explain why I'm really good at archery and why I can sing (somewhat).

Percy seemed excited to have another sibling, insisting that I stay in the Poseidon cabin. To be honest, it was nice having it just the two of us. Tyson visited once in a while as well. I loved the Cyclops, even if his snoring sounded like someone cutting down the Amazon rainforest. He had made a dainty metal bracelet for me that when I twisted it, it turned into massive shield with sharp edges, so it could also be used as a weapon too. Percy and I became close; we shared the same humor, the same somewhat rebellious personality, the same sarcastic comments. The only difference was I tended to be a little more reserved.

I'd been walking to my cabin when I heard a frightened shout from inside the Hermes cabin. At first I thought someone had just been pranked by Connor and Travis, but when I heard more and more gasps and surprised shouts, my curiosity got the better of me; I ran into the newly renovated cabin. All the campers were facing one corner of the cabin.

"What's going on?" I whispered to the person next to me. When they didn't respond, I rolled my eyes and pushed my way through the crowd. I had expected a monster or a cocky god or a person pranked by the Stoll brothers. I had not expected to find Luke Castellan cowering in a corner while a guy named Grey MacGregor pointed his sword at Luke's throat. Ignoring the fact that Luke had recently tried to kill us a week ago, I knelt down in front of him.

"What are you doing?" Grey hissed. "Get away from him."

"I think if he was here to kill us, he would've done it already. Besides, he's unarmed. I'll take him to Chiron. He'll know what to do," I said. Holding my hand out for him Luke to take, I told him, "Let me help you up."

He stared up at me, his expression dubious and fearful, but after a few moments of deciding, he slowly took my hand. I forgot how tall Luke was. He had to be over six foot. I'm one of the taller girls at camp and he still towered over me.

"I'm coming with you," Grey said firmly, standing next to me.

"No. Luke needs to get to Chiron in one piece. You want to chop him up into little pieces. I know that look, Grey," I replied, smirking at him. He gave me a sheepish glance. I led Luke out of the Hermes cabin and headed to the Big House.

"Thank you," he said quietly.

"For what?" I queried, examining the faces of campers we passed. Most appeared to be shocked or angry.

"For preventing them for killing me," he answered. "What's your name?"

"Shiloh Carter."

"Who's kid are you?"

"Daughter of Poseidon, granddaughter of Apollo. You can imagine the Poseidon part went over real well here, having two kids of Poseidon at camp. Scared the Hades out of most of the campers," I laughed.

"I can imagine."

"Shiloh!" Percy shouted from behind me. I turned around and waved at my brother. Luke tensed up but didn't turn around.

"Annabeth and I are gathering a group of people to play volleyball. Want to join? Bring your friend too!"

"Don't tell him it's me, please," Luke begged. I nodded.

"Thanks, but I have to take care of some things!" I hollered back to Percy. Unfortunately, while my brother accepted the fact, Annabeth registered another. She realized who I was with.

"Incoming," I whispered to Luke. He had only barely turned around when Annabeth barreled into him, wrapping her arms around his neck, hugging him like there was no tomorrow. Luke froze at the contact, unable to believe his best friend was greeting him the way she was. Percy reached us about the time Annabeth let go of Luke. Percy's eyes went wide.

"Luke?" Percy asked in shock.

"Hello, Percy," Luke responded. This Luke acted completely different from the one who had come to camp when he was fifteen years old. Back then, he'd been outgoing, cheerful, and laughing. Now, he cowered at the sight of anyone from camp, he hung his head, and he didn't smile.

"What are you doing here? How are you here?"

"I'm, um, heading to the Big House. If you two come, I'll explain it there," Luke informed softly. Percy and Annabeth could only nod, unable to say anything.

Getting the feeling I was now a mere intruder on the scene, I slowly started to back away, attempting to blend in with nature which never works out well for me because I have blonde hair that sticks out way too much for my liking. It's like a giraffe trying to blend in with zebras. It's going to be seen.

"Shiloh? Where are you going?" Luke queried, his blues innocently questioning me.

"I, uh, thought you just wanted them to come, and I was going to leave y'all be…" I admitted.

"No, you should come to. I think you deserve to seeing as how you prevented my cab- I mean the Hermes cabin from shish-kebabbing me. I owe you," Luke remarked. I gave in. He needed another camper besides Percy and Annabeth to help him adjust to being back at Camp Half-Blood. The four of us walked to the Big House in silence. Annabeth had taken a hold of Luke's hand, as if to make sure he just didn't disappear. I looked over at Percy to make sure he didn't mind. After all, he and Annabeth had just gotten together, and he still sort of thought she had feelings for Luke even after all this time. He seemed cautious but okay with it nonetheless.

When we entered the Big House, Chiron and Mr. D were discussing what materials were needed to help rebuild all the cabins and build the new ones.

"Chiron? We have a surprise guest to our camp," I announced, not even bothering to wait for them to stop talking.

"We are in the middle of a conversation Sharona Castellan. Can you not see that?" Mr. D demanded, not even looking over.

"That's awkward considering the last name you just used belongs to our surprise guest," I said. The two immortals snapped their heads in our direction.

"What the-" Dionysus began.

"Mr. Castellan," Chiron breathed.

"Chiron, Dionysus," Luke said, getting down on one knee and bowing his head to them.

"Stand up, my boy," Chiron ordered kindly, noticing Luke's personality was not the one he had previously been accustomed to. "What are you doing here?"

Luke shifted on his feet uncomfortably. "It's my punishment, sir… and also my chance at life again."

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**So how did Luke come back? What's his punishment? Please review! :)**


	2. I Explain the Impossible

**I can't resist writing another chapter. I'm always like this with new stories, especially when it's Percy Jackson (or Harry Potter). READ READ READ!**

**Chapter Quote:  
**"**This is a pen… this is a PEN!"  
****~Percy Jackson**

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Chapter 2: I Explain The Impossible

**Luke**

If it hadn't been for Shiloh, I'd be pinned to the wall of the Hermes cabin by Grey's sword. He used to be a great friend of mine. Now he hated me, and I understood. To be honest, I hated myself. No one could see that though. All they saw was what I had done to them, all I had caused, and if I was in their position, I'd be the same way.

When I entered the Big House for the first time in four years, Shiloh captured Chiron and Dionysus's attention for me. I knelt to the ground, bowing my head in respect. Dionysus would never accept the fact I was here, but I still had to attempt the impossible.

"Stand up, my boy," Chiron told me gently. "What are you doing here?"

Shiloh, Percy, Annabeth, Chiron, and Dionysus all stared at me, waiting impatiently for an answer. Uncomfortable with all the attention on me, I shifted on my feet. "It's my punishment, sir," I explained, before adding quietly, "And also my chance at life again."

"I think we need to sit down while you explain," Chiron decided, shrinking from his centaur form into his wheelchair. Dionysus grouched as he plopped down in his chair. Percy, Annabeth, Shiloh, and I sat on the couch. I sat between Annabeth and Shiloh. Annabeth urged me to explain.

"At first, when I went in front of the Judges of the Underworld, they were planning on putting me in the Fields of Eternal Punishment for fifty years for what I did. Then, I believe it was King Midas, he came up with the idea that the Fields of Punishment would cause me not near enough of the pain I deserved for helping K-" I had trouble saying the name. After everything I'd been through and witnessed with Kronos as my leader, I hated him. With every part of my being, I hated him. Somehow, I managed to spit his name out. "Instead, he suggested I be sent back to camp where everyone hated me. But he promised me that if I could get the approval of my being at camp by a majority of the campers in two months, I would be allowed to stay here on earth and live out the rest of my life. Of course, that's impossible since everyone hates me here…"

"I don't hate you. I don't think Percy hates you. I know Annabeth doesn't. Chiron doesn't. Dionysus hates everyone. And the Stoll brothers, they would love having you back. Mainly to prank but still. That's what… six people on your side? That's better than nothing," Shiloh offered.

I gave her a weak smile, wondering how she could be so optimistic. Her blues eyes sparkled. They were the color of the Caribbean sea, that turquoise blue. They were absolutely enrapturing.

"I planned on hiding out and not letting anyone know I was here, but the Judges had other plans, obviously by dropping me in the dead center of my cabin," I admitted.

"Why were you going to hide?" Annabeth demanded.

"I cared for all these people, I really did. I didn't want to get attached to them and then not receive their approval and go back to the Fields of Punishment with only the memories of how much they despised me rather than how they felt of me before."

"I would've dragged you back up to earth from those fields and killed you myself had I found out you'd been hiding from us," Annabeth growled.

"So we just have to get most of the camp to approve of the guy who tried to destroy us a week ago?" Shiloh queried. "Am I understanding this correctly?"

"Yeah," I mumbled. "It's impossible."

"Oh it's not impossible," she said casually, waving her hand.

"How?" I asked somewhat doubtfully.

"Come on, even in the word 'impossible,' it says 'I'm possible.' The biggest problems you'll have are Ares, Hephaestus, and Aphrodite. Athena will be easier to sway because of Annabeth. I mean, your own cabin can't hate you forever and the Stoll brothers will be able to ease the tension with that. Demeter, does she ever get mad except when her daughter gets kidnapped? Nico… I have no idea what he'll do. Let's see… Apollo might be somewhat difficult because of Michael, but they're all pretty laid back so just be nice to them and that'll be fine."

"Looks like Shiloh has this all figured out," Chiron remarked in amusement. Shiloh stopped rambling and blushed, looking sheepish and adorable. "Percy, Annabeth, stay here. I must speak with you. Shiloh, would you mind getting Luke settled back into the daily routine?"

"No, sir. Come on, let's get you some clothes and toiletries and find a bunk far, far away from Grey," she chirped. I stood up and followed her. I couldn't tell what age she was. Shiloh had this look about her where she could be whatever age she wanted to be.

"How old are you?" I asked, shutting the door to the Big House behind me.

"Twenty. I turn twenty-one in November. I can't wait," she laughed.

"I feel like I knew you before…"

"Before you tried to take over the world? You did. We were in the same cabin for, oh, four, five years? We didn't talk much. I think the only time we did was because you asked if it was okay if you took over as cabin leader which I agreed to. I thought I'd let someone else deal with the Stoll brothers. Speaking of those two," she trailed off, turning towards the sword fighting arena where two tall brothers, instantly recognizable, were walking. "Hey Connor! Hey Travis! Come here!"

"Wh-what are you doing?" I hissed in fright, afraid of what my half-brothers would think of me now.

"Gotta start somewhere Luke. And trust me, they're not mad at you," she promised, resting her hand lightly on my arm.

"Shiloh!" Connor (at least I think it was Connor) hollered back.

"Come here! There's someone I want you to see!"

The two brothers came running up to us. I watched as their facial expressions changed the closer they got to me. Instead of stopping though, they ran right into me, knocking me backwards. I don't know how I stopped myself from falling flat on my back from the impact.

"Big bro is back! We missed you man!" Travis exclaimed.

"Saving the world in the end was your best prank bro!" Connor added cheerfully. "So how'd you escape from the Underworld?"

"Um, I didn't. The Judges sent me back," I replied, purposely avoiding this happened to be my 'punishment.'

"You've changed. We need to get you to lighten up again, Luke. Don't worry, the kids will warm back up to you. Just give it a few. I mean-" Connor began.

"-Aphrodite, Ares, and Hephaestus will be the hardest to win over. But you have us, you apparently have the lovely Shiloh, and Percy and Annabeth once they see you," Travis finished. Just like old times, I thought. The Stoll brothers finishing each other's sentences.

"They've seen him. I'm taking him to get some clothes and other necessities. Want to join?" Shiloh inquired. The brothers instantly agreed, flanking me and Shiloh. The three people I walked with ignored the freaked out stares we received when campers saw me. It actually helped; it made me feel a little more normal even though I know I'm far from it. I admit though, I at first hated the fact we had to wear the orange tee with the Camp Half-Blood symbol on it. But now, with my white toga from when I'd 'been' Kronos, I looked forward to it because then I'd at least somewhat blend in. I hardly ever blended in anywhere. Being tall and being blonde and having bright blue eyes, I tended to stick out.

When I came out of the bathroom from changing, I found Connor holding Shiloh in his arms bridal style, with her peering down to the floor. Travis kept trying to pull her out of his brother's arms.

"What is going on here?" I questioned, feeling myself start to smile.

"There's a massive spider," Shiloh explained, head-butting Travis away from her.

"It's the size of my pinky nail!" Connor laughed.

"That's huge!" she argued. "Just because I'm not related to Athena does _not_ mean only big spiders scare me. Little ones are just as- THERE IT IS! KILL IT NOW!"

Instead, Travis picked it up. He started playing with the spider as it scuttled all over his hand. When he started bringing it closer to Shiloh, he was promptly hit with a jet of water in the face, pushing him backwards and out of the bathroom. I actually started laughing a little bit. She jumped out of Connor's arms; Connor fell to the floor in absolute hysterics.

"Never mess with a Daughter of Poseidon," I noted.

"Especially when there's a spider around," she added. "Travis, if you come here, I can make the water dissipate off you. But if that spider's anywhere near you, you're staying as is."

"Come dry me off!" Travis whined. Shiloh walked over to him before placing her hand on his head; instantly, all the water evaporated off, leaving him nice and dry.

The four of us walked back to the Hermes cabin where the campers were all gathered outside. Every. Single. Camper.

Percy and Annabeth were explaining why I was here although they purposefully left out the part about me being here for punishment and me gaining redemption and all that stuff which I was grateful for. Plus, I don't think the campers would care anyways.

The Ares, Aphrodite, and Hephaestus cabin sat near each other, looking extremely pissed off, especially when they saw me.

"I say we kill him and be done with it," Clarisse shouted angrily.

"You'll do no such thing!" Shiloh retorted back. "I know you don't like it, but he's here. And in case you haven't realized, Luke hasn't done anything to any of us since he's arrived here."

"That doesn't mean he won't try something later," Grey pointed out.

"We wouldn't let him. He's not interested in hurting us. He never wanted to anyways. That was all Kronos. I know Ares and Aphrodite cabin, you're angry and hurt over Silena. We all are. But she died a hero's death; she chose to do what she did. And Hephaestus cabin, you're upset over Beckendorf; but he died a hero's death as well. We all miss them terribly for they were great people and friends. But neither of them would want you to turn into murderers by killing a defenseless person. In case you haven't realized, Luke is unarmed. You kill him now, you'd be committing murder. Whether you like it or not, Luke helped us win this war in the end. In the end, he destroyed Kronos. So if you want nothing to do with him, don't speak to him, don't look at him, just ignore him. But if any of you are willing to give Luke a second chance like I am, and Percy and Annabeth and the Stolls and Chiron, don't be afraid to come up and talk to him," Shiloh said. Her voice had been clear, calm, and powerful. Everyone had fallen silent to listen to her. I found myself staring at her rather than the hatred-filled faces of the campers aimed at me. Shiloh turned to Grey. "Put Luke in a bed next to the Stolls and far away from you. I still don't trust you not to skewer him with your sword. Connor, Travis, think you can help Luke adjust back to being at camp when Percy, Annabeth, and I aren't around?"

"We got this," the brothers declared simultaneously.

"Good. Now, back to your activities whatever you have and stop dawdling. There's much to be built, much to be done. Go!"

The campers grumbled and griped but obeyed her. Shiloh's power amongst the campers reminded me similarly of how it used to be here at camp for me. But I stopped myself from reminiscing. It would do no good.

"Chiron's going to talk to you about your schedule tomorrow," Annabeth explained, walking up to me and Shiloh. "Pretty much, it's mine, Percy, and Shiloh's job to help you acclimate back to camp again. We're going to make sure you stay Luke."

"You still have to sit with the Hermes cabin but sit with Connor and Travis, they'll make it all right," Percy said.

"And you can sit with us at the camp fire. Deal?" Shiloh chirped.

"Thank you guys, really. And I'm sorry..." I said.

"For what?" Annabeth asked, scrunching her eyebrows in confusion. Percy looked at his girlfriend with a cocked eyebrow. He obviously knew what I was going to say.

"For trying to kill you multiple times, for lying, for breaking our family, for killing Thalia's tree, for-"

"Luke, stop. It's no good to go back in the past. I appreciate the apology but I forgave you a while ago. Now why don't you head to archery with us?"

"That sounds good," I responded, taking a deep breath. "Let's do this."

"Hey Percy? I can't go. I'm taking care of the Pegasi and horses. I'll see you later okay? You too, Annabeth and Luke," Shiloh informed, waving goodbye.

"Hey, um, actually, can I go with you? There's less people at the stables and I think starting off small is better," I insisted. It was true, and also for the truth to be told, I kind of like hanging out with Shiloh. It was a lot less awkward being around her than Percy and Annabeth for two reasons: one, Percy and Annabeth were a couple and I was the awkward third wheel. Second, I still felt the utmost remorse for ever trying to kill them.

Annabeth hesitated but agreed nonetheless. So while my best friend and her boyfriend walked off, I followed the chipper blonde who seemed to realize I didn't want to talk much, so she talked for me. Shiloh talked about the new cabins and how one (I think it was for Hecate) had stones that if they were dropped, they'd explode and everyone within a mile radius would turn into a tree or something.

Shiloh was sweet and outgoing, yet reserved and calm. She kind of contradicted herself at times with herself, but I could see the similarity between her and the sea. Both were unpredictable. I liked her. I knew she'd do anything to help me stay here on earth, but I didn't have much hope that I'd be able to stay here.

The Fates weren't all that merciful.

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**Hope you enjoyed! Please review! :)**


	3. I Speak Nonsense

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed! I thank y'all so much! Hope you enjoy! :)**

**Thank you to TeamElijahnKlaus, Zwariowana97, JessicaRavenGlade, and Crimson Nightfall for reviewing! :)**

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**And finally, thank you to Huntress Of The Stars, PizzaPlease, TeamElijahnKlaus, Zwariowana97, closet geek, percyjacksonfantothecore, and 13 for adding this to their story alert lists! :)**

**Besides the fact that all of you rock, I don't have much else to say. Enjoy!**

**Chapter Quote:  
"No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another."  
~Charles Dickens**

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Chapter 3: I Speak Nonsense

**Shiloh**

First thing I did upon entering the stables was trip over air. I have that awesome ability. Luke grabbed me by my arm, preventing me from completely falling on my face. I thanked him with a sheepish smile; he returned it, if only with a small one. This Luke had changed completely from the one I used to know. It still took some getting used to. He used to be my boss. I kept expecting him to tell me what to do. Not that he was all that strict when he used to be cabin leader but still.

I went into the tack room to get some grooming tools when I heard a yelp from the main hall. Dashing outside, I found Luke being chased around by Black Jack who had someone escaped from his stall. I entered Black Jack's thoughts, attempting to tell him to knock it off while at the same time chasing the Pegasus around trying to get him under control. The Pegasus didn't hear me over his cursing thoughts. Black Jack called Luke a multitude of insulting names, ranging from "Pegasus abuser" to "stinking, stupid horse dung" and other names that should've made me wash that Pegasus's mouth out with soap. Somehow, I got in front of Luke just as Black Jack ended his third round of rearing. His hooves came down towards my head. Luke's arms wrapped around my waist, hurrying to get me out of the way of the angry Pegasus's feet, but he was too late. The last thing I remember is Black Jack's hooves connecting with my forehead and thinking: "That bruise is going to look weird."

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**Luke**

I cursed myself royally and out loud for not getting Shiloh out of the way sooner. The force of Black Jack's hooves slamming down on her forehead actually made me lose my grip on her. I stumbled back and fell on my butt. Shiloh slumped to the floor in a heap, her blonde hair spilled over her face, hiding the blood from her new cut. I tried to hurry over to her but the moment I stood up, Black Jack head-butted me in the stomach, sending me flying into the stable wall. He then stood protectively over her body, staring at me with malice; if Shiloh hadn't been there, the Pegasus would've killed me by now.

* * *

**Percy**

"Do you think he's okay?" Annabeth asked for the fiftieth time in the past ten minutes. We were watching the kids practice archery.

I sighed. "Annabeth, I'm sure Luke is fine. Shiloh is very capable of handling him and anyone else that tries to hurt him. Don't worry. We'll find a way for him to gain approval from the rest of the campers. I promise."

"But what if we don't?! He's like my brother, Percy. I can't go through losing him again. Between you and him… one of you is going to be the death of me, I swear to the gods," she mumbled. "I worry about both of you way too much."

I wrapped my arms around her waist, resting my head on her shoulder. "You have a right to worry about us, since I have a tendency to get into trouble, and he has a tendency to be easily manipulated. But you don't need to. We're both at camp. We're both safe. Luke is being carefully watched by Shiloh. You really don't need to keep worrying over us," I insisted gently.

She turned her head so she could look at me. "Yes I do, Seaweed Brain."

I kissed her on the nose. As I was about to give her a real kiss, Black Jack entered my thoughts: _Yo boss! We have an emergency!_

_What is it?_ I demanded immediately.

_Guy that tried to take over the world with Kronos is here and I might've knocked Shiloh out. Okay I _did _knock her out but not intentionally. Come help her so I can knock the dude out_.

I bolted towards the stable with Annabeth shouting after me, hot on my heels. She caught up to me just I entered the stables. Shiloh was in a heap on the floor, a small pool of blood next to her head. Her blonde hair covered most of her face, meaning I couldn't see the extent of her wound. Black Jack was standing protectively over her, wings outstretched, eyes glowering at Luke. Speaking of Luke, he was cornered by the black Pegasus, obviously wanting desperately to get to Shiloh but not able to.

"Easy Black Jack, he's okay," I assured, slowly walking up to the Pegasus.

_Uh boss? This guy tried to kill you. Need I remind you of that?_

"No, you don't. He's a good guy now. Let me see her." Black Jack backed up, allowing for me to examine my half-sister's head. I rolled her over gently, moving her hair back gingerly. Meanwhile, Luke crawled over to us, warily watching the black Pegasus who kept pawing the ground as if he wanted to charge the demigod.

Two distinct hoof-shaped bruises were on Shiloh's forehead. If this had been under better circumstances, I would've laughed.

"We need to stop the blood on her head. Anyone-"

Annabeth was cut off by Shiloh groaning. Luke lifted his hand as if to cup her face, but he dropped it. Luke was seriously starting to freak me out. First he was all "I'm going to destroy the world" and now he's like "I don't want to hurt anybody even if they hurt me." I didn't know what to think.

"Shiloh?" Luke whispered.

No answer.

"Let's get her to the infirmary," Annabeth insisted. Neither Luke nor I hesitated. I let Luke carry her. Annabeth grabbed a clean towel from the tack room, ran it under water, and then placed it on Shiloh's head.

"Put me down," Shiloh groaned softly.

"Shi, you have a concussion I'm pretty sure. We need to get you to Chiron," I told her.

"I'm not going to allow myself to be carried as if I'm a damsel in distress," she argued weakly. "Put me down."

"All right, I'll put you down," Luke replied, beginning to walk.

"Promise?"

"Yeah. I promise I'll put you down once I get you to the infirmary," he answered.

"That is not what I had in mind," she grumbled. "Should've that one seen coming."

"I think she has a bigger concussion than we think," I remarked as we walked outside into the bright sunshine. Black Jack trotted behind me, keeping a careful eye on Luke.

"You don't say?" Shiloh mumbled in response. "Creating… good sentences does not easily… come to me."

"Coherent you mean?"

"Shut up."

I grinned. No matter what state Shiloh was in, she could always say 'shut up.' Luke carried her all the way to the infirmary where Chiron was tending other injured campers. While I entered with my friends, Black Jack stayed on the front porch. I'm pretty sure he was waiting to trample Luke when I wasn't looking.

Chiron came cantering over to us as fast as the infirmary would allow, meaning he really walked to us to avoid knocking anything or anyone over. He demanded what happened as Luke placed Shiloh on the bed. Luke explained what happened, looking completely helpless, hopeless, and regretful. "I should've stopped it," he said. "I should've been the one that got injured."

_Gold eyes said something right. Shocking_. Black Jack commented.

_Stop eavesdropping!_ I replied. Black Jack only snickered.

"I'll give her some ambrosia and nectar which should revive her and help heal that cut and bruise by dinner time; the concussion might take a little longer though."

"And stop punishing yourself, Luke. I knew what I was doing," Shiloh said softly.

"She kind of goes in and out of consciousness," I explained to a bewildered Chiron. The centaur inquired if Shiloh could get up. She responded by attempting the request. If it hadn't been for Luke's lightning fast reflexes, she would've fallen out of the bed. I cringed at the bruise. The colors of blue I saw belonged to the night sky and the deepest part of the ocean, not on my sister's forehead.

After being fed ambrosia and nectar, color started to return to Shiloh's face. Her blue eyes sparkled again with curiosity. She kept trying to crack jokes but her concussion still prevented her from creating big, coherent sentences.

"We must allow for Miss Carter to get some rest. Percy, Annabeth, Mr. Castellan, leave her for now. Go to your activities," Chiron ordered. A look of hurt flashed over Luke's face when the centaur called him Mr. Castellan when before he went AWOL on us, Chiron used to call him by his first name. However, Luke obeyed. With one final glance at a sleeping Shiloh, we left the infirmary.

* * *

**Luke**

I felt like absolute crap. My first chance to prove I have changed and then bam! Shiloh gets injured while being alone with me. Rumors would start flying, blaming me for hurting her. I just knew they would. Percy and Annabeth kept reassuring me I had no blame in the incident, that Shiloh knew what she was doing. Just because she knew what she was doing doesn't make it right…

"I'd rather be in the pits of Tartarus than seeing the campers at dinner and the campfire tonight," I mumbled. To be honest, the campers scared me. After all I'd done to them, I'm pretty sure they'd like to roast me over the bonfire tonight.

"Say that again and I will kill you," Annabeth warned.

"Don't tempt me."

"Luke, Percy and I told the campers what you did and how you helped us save Olympus. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't be here."

"No, if Percy hadn't handed that blade to me, we wouldn't be here. He decided the fate of Olympus, not me."

"Who told me to give you the dagger?" Percy countered. Damn, since when did this guy become a lawyer?

"It doesn't matter. They won't forgive me, Annabeth. Clarisse will make sure of that."

"What are you saying about me Castellan?" Clarisse growled from behind us. The three of us turned around to face the grouchy daughter of Ares.

"That-"

"That he remembers seeing you fight the drakon in the battle and thinking that was one of the most incredible things he's ever seen," Annabeth interrupted me. Why was she doing that?

"Didn't Mr. Blue Eyes have gold eyes then?" Clarisse objected.

"I did, but I could still see everything Kronos did," I replied. She glowered at me although, I detected a slight hint of pride.

"Remember what I did to that drakon if you know what's good for you. Just avoid me Castellan, and I might approve of you being here." With that, Clarisse stalked off.

"She hasn't changed," I noted.

Percy laughed. "You'd be surprised. She and I can actually have a conversation that doesn't end up with us trying to kill each other. Come on, I'll help you with the pegasi."

With that, we headed to the stables again.

* * *

**Shiloh**

Someone kept pacing up and down in front of my bed. It annoyed me because with each step they took, it sounded like a gong being hit right next to my ear. I voiced my strong opinion they should stop walking. Breathing sounded like a good idea too, although I'm not sure if my brain told my mouth to say that or not…

"Shiloh! You're awake! Finally. Thank the gods," Luke murmured. At the sound of the shy demigod, I opened my eyes a crack. He sat down on my bed. "How are you feeling?"

I turned over onto my back. "Better. Brain still isn't functioning as peachy as it usually does which you can see as I just said peachy…what about you?"

"What about me?" His eyebrows scrunched in confusion. It was cute.

"Are you okay? You looked about ready to puke when you carrying me to the infirmary. Was I really that heavy for you?" I joked, trying to lighten the mood.

He rewarded me with a smile. "No, not at all. You're quite light for your information. No, it's just that the blood and the bruise and having it be all my fault, I felt like sh- like crap. I'm so sorry."

"Luke, don't beat yourself up over that. I've had worse injuries than this."

"You have?"

"I probably shouldn't tell you."

"Was it during the war?"

"Possibly… sort of… kind of…yes," I rambled.

"Tell me."

Sighing, I explained, "I was near the Manhattan Bridge when some monster with a hell of a bow shot an arrow straight through my arm, tearing muscle and shattering my radius and ulna. Naturally, it was my right arm so I had to fight left-handed which I can do, but I'm not the best at. Why did I tell you that? You look sick again."

"I understand now why Midas decided to send me back to camp," he remarked, putting his head in his hands.

"Is it really that bad for you?" I didn't even realize I'd put my hand on his knee to comfort him until I saw my hand with my own eyes.

"You have no idea. I look at all the campers, knowing exactly who was here before I turned and who's _not_ here. I know exactly what campers are dead because of _me_. Midas knows the campers will never approve of me being here again, and he knows how unimaginably sorry and regretful and remorseful I am towards my actions. I knew it would be hard coming here but this… this is nothing I imagined."

"Luke, if the campers truly hated you, they would've killed you by now. Mark my words on that. Let me lay out the things you have working for you. First off, you have the most powerful demigod on your side: Percy Jackson. Second, his kick-butt girlfriend is on your side. Third, you have the powerhouse couple supporting you which consists of the two people just mentioned. Fourth, Grover is on your side, a.k.a. Lord of the Wild, the Chosen One of Pan, and a member of the Council of Cloven Elders. Fifth, Chiron is supporting you. The campers may think he's off his wheelchair for that, but they respect his decisions. Sixth, Dionysus hasn't blasted you into a million pieces. Seventh, you have me. I never knew you well before, but you've been nothing but nice to me during all of our conversations. I know what you did. You tried to kill my brother, his girlfriend, Thalia, and countless of others. But what I know that the other campers don't is that you regret those actions more than any of us can possibly comprehend. You _will_ be staying here," I promised.

"You just made a full speech without messing up. I think your concussion is getting better," he observed.

"Thank you, but don't change the subject. Do you understand what I just said?"

"Yeah… you really think I stand a chance?"

"I wouldn't be giving you false hope if I didn't. Now, let's go get dinner." Just as I said that, the conch blew, alerting everyone dinner was ready. Luke helped me up, making sure I didn't trip over anything. My world spun as if I'd just come out of a washing machine. Thank the gods Luke kept a hold of me. I managed to get to the dining pavilion without any more injuries or tripping. Turning towards Luke, I made the gun-like gestures and said, "I'll see _you _in a bit. Sit by me next to the campfire?"

"Sounds great. I'm going to go find Travis and Connor, see if they'll let me sit with them."

"Of course they will. Now get going." I gave him a light shove. He smiled at me before going to his table. Grey eyed Luke suspiciously; his gaze turned towards me. When it did, he got up from the Hermes table and came over to me.

"What in Hades name happened to your head?"

"Uh, Black Jack tried to kill Luke; I stood in the way. Black Jack couldn't stop himself from coming down on my head from his rear. I'm fine now. Concussion is going away."

"You should've let Black Jack kill him. Are you forgetting all that he did?"

"Stop thinking that way Grey. Luke's not a bad person anymore. He's trying to redeem himself. If you had seen the way he was talking to me in the infirmary just now-"

"He is a master of deception. He deceived all of us, including his best friend who happens to be a daughter of Athena. If he can trick her, he can trick anyone."

"Give him a chance Grey. Please?" I begged.

He let out a long exhale. "Why do I argue with you when I know I'm going to lose?"

"Because you're obstinate and headstrong. I'll see you later. Be _nice_."

"I will, I will!" He protested, walking back to the Hermes table. I went to my table and sat with Percy. Once I'd made an offering to the gods, I began to trough down on my food. Percy and I chatted about Luke being here again, what activities we had tomorrow, how we were going to help Luke get used to camp again, and other things. I periodically glanced over at the blonde demigod. He sat at the end of the Hermes table, flanked by Connor and Travis. The Stoll brothers were cracking up about something. Their mirth was contagious, and soon, everyone at the Hermes table laughed along with them (or possibly at them. You never know), including Luke, even if it was only a big smile.

Luke caught my eye; his smile changed to one of reassuring. I winked at him to let him know I'd been right. He stuck his tongue out at me.

"Shiloh?" Percy interrupted my silent bantering with Luke.

"Hmm?" I turned to him.

"Do you like him or something?" My brother looked cautious.

"Percy, did you hit your head?"

"Very funny, Shi. I'm being serious though. Do you?"

"I can't. You know that."

"But Aphrodite-"

"I know, Percy. That's why I don't like him like that. Promise."

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed! Please review!**


	4. She Stoll My Heart

**Hope y'all are enjoying the story so far! If you love Percy Jackson like I do, check out my **_**UnKnown **_**trilogy. I'm four chapters into the second book of the trilogy :) Anyways, have fun reading!**

**Chapter Quote:  
**"**Welcome to the modern world."  
****~Luke Castellan **_**The Lightning Thief **_**movie**

* * *

Chapter 4: She Stoll My Heart

**Luke**

I'd forgotten how fun these campfires could be when you actually participated in them rather than scheming to take down the gods. I stuck next to Shiloh, Annabeth, and Percy throughout the night. We sat in the front; the Stoll brothers, Juniper, and Grover sat behind us. I felt secure having them around me. The only thing that worried me was Grey sitting on the other side of Shiloh. He seemed infatuated with her. I couldn't blame him. Truth be told, Shiloh had really grown on me too. I wouldn't allow myself to get too attached to her though. In a month's time, I'd be back in the Underworld, probably on my way to the Fields of Punishment.

"Oh my gods," Shiloh breathed.

"What?" I asked, getting ready to defend her.

"I'll be right back!" she exclaimed, getting up and slipping away from the campfire. Not many people watched her go. I wondered why. Surely the guys here had a crush on her. Then again, she probably scared them. After all, she's a daughter of Poseidon, meaning Percy is her half-brother, and I could already tell the two were close. Mess with her, not only do you have to endure her wrath, but Percy's too. I'm not sure whose wrath would scare me more…

I watched her go up to the Hades cabin which was in the process of being built. A slim shadow leaned up against it. Shiloh hugged the figure. The person was a little smaller than her, but seemed, even from this far away, powerful and intimidating. Leave it Shiloh to _not_ be scared. In another minutes, she came back over, this time holding the shadow person's hand.

It was Nico di Angelo.

His expression proved he didn't want to be here, but I don't think he could say no to Shiloh. I understood. I'd become the same way. I don't know if it was because she was one of the few people who accepted me or what, but when she gave me one flash of those blue eyes, I gave in. I had a feeling Nico was like that too.

"What's he doing here?" Nico scowled upon seeing me.

"Long story, but don't worry. He's not going to kill any of us," Shiloh said kindly. "Just stay for a little bit. I've missed seeing you."

"At least someone has," he grumbled before plopping down on the bench between Shiloh and Grey. The latter looked pissed he'd been separated from his crush, but he took it gracefully, conversing casually with Nico. Shiloh joined in with them.

During the last thirty minutes of the campfire, the campers decided to stray from the typical campfire songs and go for more modern ones. The Apollo kids took out their guitars, lyres, flutes, or whatever instrument they played. The first song was 'The Fox Song.' I'd never heard of it and stared confusedly at everyone dancing to it. Shiloh, upon seeing my face, started cracking up before explain a pair of Norwegian brothers had created this.

"I'm going to assume marijuana or something heavier is legal there," I muttered.

Next came 'I Won't Say I'm in Love' from the Disney movie "Hercules." This prompted a grin onto my face. The girls from Apollo sang. Shiloh joined in. Everyone was great singers, but Shiloh blew them out of the park. It's almost as if her voice changed to match the part she had to sing, which her part was Meg. The others sang for the Muses.

"Never have her sing you a lullaby. She gets to the second word, and you're already out," Connor whispered drolly into my ear. I looked over at Percy and Annabeth. Annabeth was mouthing the words. Percy was looking at Shiloh, an unreadable expression on his face. He looked proud of her, but at the same, very sad. I couldn't understand why and refrained from asking.

When that song was over, they played some more. Shiloh didn't sing to any afterwards although she mouthed the lyrics. At the end of the campfire, with time to play only two more songs, the campers decided to make the others dance. First up was Gangnam Style. Shiloh and Percy stood up. Annabeth got dragged up by Percy. She glowered at him but stood there. Nico made no attempt to move; Shiloh tried to convince him but seemed to know what her limits were to convincing him. Instead, she turned her attention to me.

"Come on," she said cheerfully, holding out her hand.

"I don't think it's a good idea," I told her, holding up my hands in defense.

"Why not?"

"If I accidentally step on someone's toe, they're going to think I'm purposefully trying to hurt them," I informed. "Do you really think this is a good idea? I mean, come on."

"If they try to hurt you, they'll have to go through me and Percy and Annabeth. Now come on, it's fun!" Shiloh had a surprising amount of strength as she pulled me up. I stood timidly next to her. When the dancing started, I quickly tried to learn the dance since I'd never really learned it before. Thankfully, it was pretty easy. I found myself laughing throughout, mainly because I couldn't believe Shiloh had convinced me to do this and that someone had come up with a dance like this. Seriously, who comes up with this stuff?

Finally, the last song came on. It turned out to be a slower song yet a fun one. I didn't know it but for the most part, the couples of camp started dancing. Some of the guys asked girls to dance with them, usually a single daughter of Aphrodite. I'd been so busy staring that I hadn't realized I'd been standing alone. Shiloh had sat down. However, Grey pulled her back up. I felt a bubble of jealously rise up in me. Why hadn't I asked her? I sat down on the bench again, watching everyone dance. My gaze kept returning to Shiloh though. Connor plopped down next to me.

"Where's Travis?" I asked.

"Dancing with Katie. He's been crushing on her for years. Wimp finally got enough courage to ask her to dance with him after all these years," Connor laughed. "Now he has to get enough courage to ask her out! Shiloh's helping me hook them up."

"I see. Do she and Grey have a thing?" I inquired as casually as I could. I didn't want him getting the wrong idea, even though it was the right idea, but naturally Connor picked up my drift.

"Oh, does someone like Shiloh Carter? Wouldn't surprise me. All of us do at some point. Thing is, she doesn't date anyone. Won't tell anyone why. Last few times she's almost dated someone, the guy ends up dating another girl. Poor girl probably thinks she's cursed. She just needs this guy" -he pointed to himself with his thumbs- "to prove her wrong. Unless you want her. I won't get in your way if you do."

"Uh, why wouldn't you get in my way?"

"I wouldn't want you killing me," Connor joked, giving me a wink. I looked at him sheepishly.

"I wouldn't do that. I'm done with the 'Let's-tear-down-Olympus' phase," I told him.

"Thank the gods for that!"

"Hey y'all," Shiloh greeted, plopping down in front of them. Grey had disappeared. Luke wanted to know where so he could avoid him.

"So you and Grey MacGregor, huh? Lucky man, lucky man," Connor remarked.

"What do you mean?" Shiloh questioned innocently.

"You two were getting cozy in the dance." My half-brother smirked. "I saw him whispering into your ear."

"I think you've hit your head too many times. There's nothing going on between me and Grey. We were having a conversation he didn't want people to hear so he whispered. Is that so bad?" Shiloh defended, her tone a little snappish. Connor backed off, holding his hands up in surrender. He was grinning, but I could tell he was wary of her now. She might not look like it, but I concluded Shiloh was not one to mess with, and not just because Percy was her brother. I think she could open up a can of whoop-ass if she wanted to.

"Let's head back to the cabins," she suggested. I helped her up. We started walking back. Travis lagged behind with Katie. He was smiling and grinning, but not as if he was about to pull a prank, as if he was truly happy to be with her.

"Good night, Luke," Shiloh said. She started walking away, but I called out her name to stop her.

"Thank you for today. For… well, everything," I admitted.

She smiled. "You're welcome."

"Um, I'll see you tomorrow, right?"

"Of course. Oh, and don't worry about Grey tonight. The Stolls have created a plan for him."

"Should I be worried?"

"No, but Grey should," Shiloh chuckled. "I'll see you tomorrow."

She went into her cabin. Percy wasn't far behind her. I entered my old cabin. They'd cleaned it up. It was starting to look pretty decent. With a few more touch ups, it'd be really great.

_Maybe a project for me to take on…_ Luke thought to himself.

"Luke! You're bunk is over here!" Travis shouted. I looked at the farthest end of the cabin. Travis sat on my bunk. I walked over to the brothers.

"We stole some stuff for you since probably most of your stuff got exploded into bits on the _Princess Andromeda_. You'll have to go into the city at some point to get some new clothes. We got enough to last you a week though. Maybe Shiloh could take you out or something," Connor suggested, giving me a wink. I rolled my eyes.

"Thank you for the clothes. I really appreciate it. I'm going to go take a shower," I said, grabbing a pair of pajamas. I headed out to the bathroom. A few other kids were there but thank the gods the builder had the sense to build private stalls. The showers were separated into girls and guys, but I remember once in a while, if the girls' stalls were all occupied, a girl would take one of the boys' stalls.

The hot water felt good. I hadn't realized how dirty I was until I saw the black streaks going down the drain. I turned off the water and slipped on my sweatpants. I forgot how comfy the pajamas the camp offered were. I'd been so hell-bent on my hatred for the gods I didn't realize the small things that made the camp so great.

I left my shirt off. The water had made me really hot. I threw it over my shoulder instead. I was aware that as I walked back to my cabin, I received a few stares from people, mainly girls. I started becoming self-conscious.

"They wouldn't be staring at you if you had a shirt on," Shiloh's voice teased. I turned around. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail. She had on a sweatshirt and sweatpants. Shiloh looked like the epitome of comfort.

"I was… hot," I said, embarrassed. I felt my face flush.

"You look hot," she commented.

I couldn't help but smirk. "Enjoying the view are we?"

"Girl would be crazy not to. I forgot to tell you, all but one of your classes has me, Percy, or Annabeth in it. I think the Stolls are in it though."

"What class is that?" I queried, trying to hide my worry.

"Sword-fighting. Oh, and for the record, if you want the girls to support you being here, just keep walking shirtless. It'll do wonders." Shiloh winked at me before heading off to her cabin. I chuckled to myself. Even though I was going to get sent back to the Underworld, at least all my memories of camp wouldn't be of people hating me. I'd at least have some good memories of Shiloh, Percy, and Annabeth.

I continued walking into my cabin. When I reached my bed, I exclaimed, "What in Hades' name is all this?"

Connor and Travis looked up at me. "It's your alarm system. If someone tries to sneak into your bed to kill you, you'll hear them. I mean, who doesn't wake up to bubble wrap. And then there's the bells here just in case you don't hear the bubbles. Oh, and thumbtacks at the foot of your bed."

"Is all this really necessary?" I inquired. "Listen, I know Grey hates me and all but, uh, I don't think he's going to do anything. Besides, someone else other than him could hurt themselves."

Travis pondered this. "Fine, we'll put the thumbtacks on the step ladder."

"No thumbtacks, Stolls," I admonished. They gave sighs of defeat as they collected all the thumbtacks. I helped them before hopping up onto my bed, ignoring using the step ladder. I knew I wouldn't be able to convince the Stoll brothers to get rid of the bubble wrap and bells, at least not tonight. If they tried to do that every night, it might be a different story.

"Oh, Luke, before I forget, here's your laptop. We actually saved this thing for you. We might've used it once in a while when ours crashed. We created a Facebook page for demigods so we can stay in touch. I think you-know-who is on there," Connor told me.

"There's a kid named Voldemort on here?" I looked at him in confusion.

"Never mind," he grumbled. I shook my head as I opened it up. "Oh, in case you forgot your password, it's: tgac2008."

"Do I even want to know how you two figured that out?" I asked.

"Nope."

"Thought so." I turned on my laptop and logged in. I went to Facebook immediately. The only friends I had on there were from Camp Half-Blood, but it was only half of what I used to have. I guess a lot had unfriended me due to what I'd become and done. Didn't blame them. I went to the search box and typed in: Shiloh Carter.

Her profile turned out to be the first one on the list. I clicked on it. Her profile was of her at the beach I think. It was a close-up of her face, and she wasn't looking directly at the camera either. Her smile reached all the way across her face. She looked extremely happy and really beautiful. Her cover photo consisted of her kneeling on a dock in front of a lake. The wind blew her hair across her face as she looked at the camera. Even on the computer, her eyes bore into me, attempting to find the secrets swirling around in my head. I swear Shiloh could look into someone's soul and see everything inside them. I hope she couldn't do that with me.

I sent her a friend request. I checked my email after that. I had over a thousand messages, all from colleges and people trying to sell me stuff. I just marked them as all read. I didn't want to go through all of them. I went back to Facebook and scrolled through, just to see what people were up to. Connor posted a status saying: "Being popular on Facebook is like sitting at the cool table in a cafeteria at a mental hospital." I let out a small chuckle. I scrolled down and saw that Travis had posted something as well, just a few minutes ago. I glanced down at him. He was in the bottom bunk diagonal from me (Connor slept below me). He was grinning; I assumed he was talking to Katie. I looked back at the post and read it: "I think a girl just _Stoll_ my heart."

At that, I snorted. A few people glared at me, some gave me curious glances, but no one asked me anything about it. I hit the like button as I read the comments:

**Katie Gardner: Do you not take anything seriously?**

**Travis Stoll: Of course I do!**

**Katie Gardner: Example.**

**Travis Stoll: I fought in the Titan War.**

**Shiloh Carter: You wanted to raid a candy shop during the war.**

**Travis Stoll: DO NOT SUPPORT HER OR I WILL PUT A SPIDER IN YOUR BED**

**Shiloh Carter: Do it and you'll find yourself so far out in the ocean you'll see Africa.**

**Katie Gardner: Let me slap him with some vines first, then you can.**

**Travis Stoll: HEY**

**Connor Stoll: Bro, I have an idea!**

**Shiloh Carter: This is not good…**

**Katie Gardner: No it's not…**

I grinned like an idiot at what was going down. I turned my head and asked, "Connor, what are you going to do to Katie?"

"I thought you were watching this go down on Facebook. Just stay tuned. You'll see."

I turned my attention back to my computer just as Connor made a status saying: "Hey Katie, when were you going to tell my brother you married him?"

I scrunched my eyebrows up in confusion. Apparently, Katie was confused too. She replied quickly.

**Katie Stoll: I don't know what you're talking about.**

**Travis Stoll: Oh my gods Connor hahahaha**

**Connor Stoll: You're welcome :D**

**Katie Stoll: I don't get what's going on…**

**Shiloh Carter: I'm dying of laughter here haha Katie you might want to check your last name.**

**Katie Stoll: I'm going to kill you Stoll…**

**Travis Stoll: Well this is my cue to turn in for the night. Love you Katie! :***

**Katie Stoll: Hate you too**

"Enjoy that?" Connor queried, his voice mirthful.

"Completely," I admitted. "You do know the door is probably going to be blocked by poison ivy or something."

"It's worth it. All right, time for me to go night night. I have to be alert tomorrow because Katie's going to kill me." He turned off his laptop and went to bed. I scrolled through Facebook some more. A few minutes in, I received a notification saying Shiloh had accepted my friend request. My PM box popped open with a message from Shiloh.

**Shiloh Carter: Hi :) Welcome back haha**

**Luke Castellan: Hi :) and thank you haha**

**Shiloh Carter: Did you enjoy the Stoll vs Gardner conversation?**

**Luke Castellan: That was hysterical haha he's still snickering under his sheets, I can hear him.**

**Shiloh Carter: He's going to be sorry haha Katie has a vengeful streak in her! So what did Connor and Travis do to your bed? They told me they'd make sure Grey didn't hurt you in the middle of the night**

**Luke Castellan: Oh, you know, just put bubble wrap and bells on my ladder and attempted to put thumbtacks around the floor. I made them take those away.**

**Shiloh Carter: Oh my gods haha well I should probably turn in for the night. I'll see you tomorrow :) Night!**

**Luke Castellan: Looking forward to it :) Night!**

I shut off my laptop and closed my eyes, thinking: _Maybe this punishment won't be so bad after all._

* * *

**Hope you guys enjoyed! I'm coming up with a lot of ideas for this story that goes into the Heroes of Olympus series. I'm still debating about that though. **

**For any of you reading my UnKnown trilogy, I have a tumblr blog for the characters. If you're interested in checking it out, let me know!**

**Anyways, review :)**


	5. I Challenge A Race

**So because one of the readers dedicated a story to me on Wattpad, I'm returning the compliment :) So this is for ilovejakeabel99. **

**For Fanfiction, thank you to DontYouTouchMySeaweedBrain, 53, Hershey gurl, and abrilmillet for adding the story onto their favorites! :)**

**Thank you to 53, Hershey gurl, PrincipessaBel, abrilmillet, bandnerd94, i am a Fire-jay, percyjacksonfantothecore, and 13 for putting the story on story alert! :)**

**Enjoy!**

**Chapter Quote:  
**"**I don't know. But I just know that I'll be fighting next to you."  
****~Annabeth Chase in **_**The Lightning Thief**_

* * *

Chapter 5: I Challenge A Race

**Luke**

I woke up to Connor and Travis poking me.

"Time to get up lazy; big day ahead of you," one of them said.

"Thanks for reminding me," I groaned, rolling off my bed and landing on both feet on the floor. The Stoll brothers grinned at me.

"Still not a morning person, are you?" Travis laughed. Simply glaring at him, I grabbed my Camp Half-Blood tee and some khaki shorts. I walked to the bathroom where I changed into my outfit. When I walked out, I stared at myself in the mirror. Thankfully no campers were around to see this. My reflection stared at back at me, criticizing my being, belittling any hopeful thoughts flying in my head, patronizing my looks, and revealing every idea I possessed since being back at camp. I saw my hand trail down the ugly scar on my face. Girls thought I was handsome with this- this…. mutilation on my face? How? The more I studied every contour, ridge, and valley of the scar, the more prominent it became, and the worse I felt.

_It's a battle scar_. My conscience consoled, attempting to make me feel better.

_It shows failure_. I countered bitterly.

_A battle is only a failure if you die unwillingly for the wrong side._ It argued calmly. _You died a hero's death in the last war because you _chose_ to. Now you're alive again facing a new battle, one different than anyone has experienced. You've always been… wayward, so show that in this new battle. Show the Dead they will not get their hands on you for a long time. I'll help you as much as I can along the way._

Something about my conscience's way of talking sounded different, as if it had a conscience of its own.

_This isn't your conscience Luke._ My… whatever spoke again, which left me more confused than before. _I am sorry I am not the father you wanted or needed. You will not believe me when I say I wanted to do so much more. I hope one day you can forgive me. I have faith that you'll win this new battle, Luke. I have always had faith in you. I love you._

"Dad…" I trailed off. For the first time since I brought Annabeth and Thalia to my house all those years ago, I was speaking to my dad. And unlike last time, I craved for him to speak to me more. "Dad, I'm so sorry. I-you don't need forgiveness. I already did that. I'm the one that needs to be asking for forgiveness."

_You do not need my forgiveness because I was never mad at you. I know why you did what you did. I know you're sorry, but you don't need to be. I was never a great dad. I have to go now son, but this will not be the last time I talk to you. I love you._

"I love you too," I murmured. I felt my dad's presence leave my mind. All that was left of our meeting was a feeling of relief and sadness. I wanted to talk to my dad further. I wanted to know why he didn't talk to me a lot when I was younger.

"Luke?" Shiloh's voice called out. I jumped away from the mirror.

"Yeah?" I called back.

"Breakfast is almost ready, and Connor and Travis sent me to get you because you've apparently been here for twenty minutes."

"I'm coming!" I told her. I grabbed my pajamas, hastily brushed my teeth, and walked outside. I found Shiloh waiting for me outside; she wore shorts, a button down shirt I'm pretty sure she slept in, and had her hair fixed in a loose braid.

"Morning Shi," I greeted, stretching my arms.

"Did you just call me Shi?" she looked at me curiously.

"I… I, uh, sorry, just sort of slipped," I confessed sheepishly.

"No, it's okay. I'm just… people have never given me nicknames before. They always call me 'Shiloh' or 'Carter.' I don't like when people call me by my last name unless they use the proper title before it. But you can call me Shi. I like it." She gave me a smile that made my heart damn near melt.

"Then Shi it is," I told her.

"Come on. Breakfast is ready."

"Race?"

"You want to race me?" she smirked.

"Unless you're scared."

"Bring it on, Luke. First person to reach the pavilion wins."

"Oh it's on!" I laughed. I counted down to three, shouted go, and we were off. We were neck-to-neck from start to finish. Once in a while Shiloh would get the upper hand by leaping off of a rock or log, but I always managed to catch up to her. When we reached the pavilion, we skidded to a halt, nearly knocking Connor and Travis over.

"I thought you weren't a morning person Luke?" Connor winked at me.

"I'm not. Shiloh forced me to a race," I said as seriously as I could.

"I- hey! I did _not_ force you to race! You asked me!" she protested violently yet playfully.

"Tsk tsk, Shi, it's very bad to lie," I chastised lightly.

"I'm not lying, it's the truth you're denying," she bantered.

"Are we having rhyming war? If so, I have a lot more."

"Could you two be more cheesy? You're making me wheezy," Travis joined in before walking away. Shiloh laughed; I joined in.

"I'll see you at archery," Shi told me, bumping her elbow lightly into mine. I grinned, returning the bump, before going to my seat at the breakfast table.

* * *

The day passed by quickly. Archery was great, even if Shiloh did kick my butt at it. In fact, Shiloh kicked everyone's butt at it, nailing the center every time. After that I had Pegasus riding with her, Percy, and Annabeth. We had races with our pegasi. Mine didn't like me, so for thirty minutes, Percy and Shiloh had to convince the Pegasus I wasn't going to hurt it. The next thirty minutes consisted of the racing. Annabeth and I had no chance against the two horse whisperers. Percy usually won over Shiloh but she was still really good. The forge came next. Annabeth stayed with me in this activity. I had never been that good at it and not much changed since the last time I was in here. I nearly cut off my finger with some type of equipment I didn't know the name of. Annabeth had pulled me away just before it happened.

Lunch came next along with thirty minutes of free time. I took the free time as an opportunity to disappear for the next hour in a half to avoid my next class: sword fighting. It scared me, thinking of possibly fighting against one of the campers. I wouldn't want to hurt them. So I walked around the deep part of the woods, admiring the natural beauty of the world for once. The tree tops towered over me with sunlight filtering through them, creating yellow spots on the earth below. I stepped over a fallen tree, leapt onto a boulder, and surveyed the scene around me. No animal or monster could be seen. I couldn't hear anything from camp, only the running water of the stream in front of me, meaning I must be deeper in the woods than I thought.

"Luke? What are you doing here?" Shiloh's voice floated down from below me. I looked down. She sat on the ground staring up at me.

"I got bored and went exploring. What about you?" I asked, jumping down to land in front of her.

"Reading. It's hard to find a quiet spot away from camp so I can read," she admitted, holding up an ancient looking book. The letters were in Greek, instantly telling me Shiloh was dyslexic and that she read better in Greek than in English.

"What book?" I queried, sitting down next to her.

"_Monsters of Greek Mythology_. It's really good. I'm reading about _Eidolons_ right now." Shiloh got a spark in her eyes as she started talking about the books she's reading nowand books she's read in the past. I listen intently, savoring the cheerfulness of her voice.

"_Warm Bodies _is probably one of my favorite books. Everyone on Julie's side wants to kill R because he's a zombie, but she sees him differently and is helping him become more human and is trying to have her side realize he's not dangerous."

"Sounds like you trying to help me," I joked,

"It does, doesn't it?" Shiloh mused. "I think the difference is you and I are just really good friends, whereas Julie and R get together."

"And I'm not a zombie," I added.

"Thank god," she chuckled. "Listen, I was thinking, you're going to need to get by on more clothes than what you have so I wanted to know if you wanted to go into the city tomorrow, have a day off from everything here. I can see if Percy and Annabeth want to go too."

"That sounds great, I'd love to! Maybe we should let Percy and Annabeth stay here. I don't know if they'd want to go in the city just to go shopping, you know? I think they'd want to go to the city for a date or something. Did that make any sense at all?"

"Yeah, it made sense," she smiled. "All right. I'll go talk to Chiron and get permission although I think he'll be fine with it. Hey, don't you have a class right now?"

I faltered. Should I tell her why I skipped it or should I lie? "Oh crap, I forgot I had sword fighting."

The words came out of my mouth before I could stop them.

_Well, lying it is_. I thought.

"I guess should I head back, but by the time I get there, it'll be time to go to the next activity," I remarked.

"Well you and I have the next activity together so I'll head back with you," Shiloh decided.

"What's the next activity?" I inquired.

She grinned. "Track. Let's see if we can break that tie of ours."

"Oh it's on!" I declared. "In fact, we should race there now."

"Uh, no. I'm too tired at the moment," she retorted. Shiloh stood up. The two of us started walking back to camp silently, both lost in our own thoughts. Mine wandered over to the fact Shiloh didn't have a boyfriend. _How _could she not have a boyfriend? She was amazing. If my fate wasn't as grim as it was, I would ask her out myself. Thing is, Shi acted like she didn't even _want_ a boyfriend. I couldn't understand the situation. I mean, maybe the guys that had almost dated her left because she was an overly attached girlfriend or something. However, I couldn't see her being like that. I saw Shiloh being the type of girlfriend you loved to hang out with because she could instantly pick up on what you liked to talk about and just delve deep into that conversation for hours. I saw Shiloh as the type of girlfriend who would rather spend the day curled up in bed watching movie or TV show marathons with a bowl of popcorn or a carton of ice cream (two cartons, one for her and one for the date because she strikes me as the type who gets possessive over sweets). I saw Shiloh as the type of girlfriend who would choose a football game over a fancy dinner or a nice boat ride on the water over riding in a limo. I saw Shiloh as the type of girlfriend who knew when something was bothering you but knew when and when not to ask and prod about it. I saw Shiloh as the type of girlfriend who would be a loyal to a fault, faithful to the core.

A hand on my shoulder stopped me. I looked down to see Shiloh staring at the ground, rendering me unable to see her face. I bent down to see if she's okay but her grip on my shoulder tightens with an almost unbearable force.

"Shiloh!" I exclaimed, trying to break through her thoughts. She collapsed to the ground onto her knees. I went down willingly with her. I cupped her face with my hands. "Shi, hey, come on, look at me. Please, just look at me. You're scaring me," I pleaded. When her eyes reached mine, I say, "Hey, see, whatever's going on, I'm here. I got you."

Shiloh shook her head in the manner people do when they're clearing their thoughts. "Sorry about that," she said weakly.

"Don't be sorry, but what the heck was that?"

She shifted positions so that she sat cross-legged on the ground. "With my grandfather being Apollo, I inherited his gift of prophetic visions. That one wasn't too bad. I've had some where I'm screaming and then some where I can focus on life and just keep walking or doing whatever it is I'm doing at the moment. This was… mediocre."

"Still scary. You're okay though?" I questioned.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Let me just rest for a moment. The vision was weird… I was hugging someone and then me and the person got teleported somehow to a really dark place. I don't know where."

We sat there for about five minutes, casually conversing, when Shi announced she was ready to continue.

"So tomorrow, what time would we leave?" I inquired.

"I was thinking after breakfast. We'll pick up lunch in the city and be back at Camp Half-Blood in time for dinner. Just spend the whole day there," she answered.

"That sounds great. I'm really looking forward to it," I said with a smile.

"I am too. Okay Luke, time to get your butt beat." I glanced at the scene before me. We had arrived at the track.

"It is _on_ Shiloh Carter."

Our competition began.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed! Please review :)**


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